Orthopedic appliance



Dem-11 1923.

c. H. MARTIN ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Filed March 28 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Christian Hubert TPtn INVENTOR 'ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

ORTEOPEDIC AP'LIANGE Application filed March 28, 1922. Serial No;547,536. I

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN HUBERT MARTIN, a citizen of the GermanRepublic,

Appliances, of which the following isa' specification.

This invention relates to orthopedic appliances and particularly to animproved connection between an orthopedic joint and a brace bar.

An object of the invention is to provide such a connection as will allowan exact fitting of a. leg or arm brace to any "individual, and readyreplacement of a. brace with another of greater length, as when thewearer outgrows the original appliance. There are various other objectswhich will become apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein are shown preferred embodiments ofthe invention by way of illustration,

Figure 1 is an elevation showing a human limb provided with anorthopedic appliance made in accordance with my invention; l

Figure 2is a fragmentary view of a leg brace showing the joint inelevation and one of the bars removed from the joint;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the parts of Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows one of the bar ends in perspective;

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Figure 2 but on alarger scale.;

Figure 6 is a-transverse section through a connection between a modifiedform of bar and a joint, the view being similar lto..l

Figure 5; v

Figures 7 to 14 are views of various joints adapted for different usesbut all emblodying the improved construction of my invention. i

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to the illustrativeembodiments of the invention there shown, a jointmember 15 is connectedin vanypreferred way/,as by a rivet, screw, or bolt 16, orby brazing, toa bar 17 at each end. It is preferred that the bar 17 be transverselycurved as seen in Figure 4, and that .the longitudinal edge portions ofthe bar be flat, so that the bar 17 presents a longitudinal lconcavechannel. Such a construction is strong and yet light 56 in weight. It isabsolutely necessary, however, `that these bars, whatever their shape,be uniform in cross section to realize fully the advantages of thisinvention.

The joint member 15 is slotted at each end to receive the ends of `twobars 17, and vthe slots 18 are shaped to makea nicefit for the barends.The slots 18 extend longitudinally of the joint members so that the endsof said members are bifurcated, one of the furcations 19 preferablybeing in the form of a tongue narrower than vthe joint member 15, and

adapted to fit within and againstthe concave side of bar 17. The otherlfurcation 20 is preferably concavo-convex, and has the full width ofthe' joint, with edges 21 adapted to fit the flat edge portions of bar17 as shown in Figure 5. The slots 18 extend but a relatively shortdistance along the bar ends and are curved to correspond with the bar.

The face of the furc'ation 19 opposite the curved face is fiat, and whenthe joint is fitted to the bar end, the said flatv face is flush withthe 'flat edge portions of said'bar (Figure 5)'. Near one end of eachbar 17 a hole 22 is drilled so that the fastening element 16 maybepassed throughsaid hole andl registering holes 23 in the'furcations 19and 20, as shown in Figures 2, Sand 5. Because of the nice fit betweenthe joint'member 15 and thefbar end,'which is due to the conformity ofthe slotsv 18 to the exact cross section of bar 17, ya single fasteningelement 16 serves to hold the'bars to the joint member without anywobbling or loose motion. The connection is such that for all practicalpurposes the bars '17 are ofone piece with the joint members; yet theparts may be separated when desired.

Figure 6 showsa transverse cross section of a modified bar 17 which isconcavolconvex without any longitudinal fiat edge portions as inFigurei. The slot 18a, tongue 19aand furcation 20a correspond to theslot 18, tongue 19 and furcation 20, there being slight alterations inthe form of each to make an exact fit with bar 17".

In Figures 7 and 8, I'have shown respectivelyan'elevation andalon'gitudinal section of a joint member allowing limited motion of anankle, knee, etc. Figures 9 and show in elevation joints constructed tostop ankle motion at a certain position. Figure 11 is a longitudinalsection of a knee joint which allows free. bending at the knee. -Y Y.pzpensive. .=.My inventionlpermil'sf'the substitution of one joint foranother, using the V11i eacliuorm the bar'17. vvfits exactly the recessprovided by slot 18.

v Figures 12, 13 and 14 show a lock joint, intended primarilyfor knees.vFigure '12' is an elevation illustrating .the jointlocked.

Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectionv ofthe braz-ing.; kLwhave notattempted to illustrate parts in the position iof Figure 12. The jointis shown unlocked in Figure 14:. In .oi-der. to lock thegpivotedpartsofthe joint yfmember, aslip ringfZ is provided.'A When". ithe ring-.25is moved `down soriasf to enclose' 'the two .pivotedrparts' ofthe jointmember,

.these partsmayfnolonger swing, so that the leg is heldrigid-,fas Aforwalking. YIf the ...wearer'desires tov sitffdown, ring. is moved i .upaboutf; tov .thegpositionf 'shown .i in dotted ,-lines linY Figure12,1.f-iivhereupon .the .joint f, -members` mayzbegturned3-.fand thering' will then lfall. to the position-shown.infFigurel14.

will ybe ,'ljighter' and-1more comfortable.-

y lormerly thefbraces had i to ybel made on f By utilizing,thevpresent,` invention, a .manufacturerof-orthopedic devicesmayeconomicallythanbefore; and these braces separate orders to fit l each'individual, and

Vit' often happened that througha mistake `in measurement -.they bar,wouldf be tool long` or too short,and would` have to be discarded.

If. such a vbar werek used .it would .always .bringdiscomfort-A. to thefwearei and would l make .the jointgfmove harder-than it-shOuld.

Again, with fold .style-fv appliances, when..

the limb grows thefappliance'mustbe dis- As. the *wearer i. clearance,Sideways, .causingI Valengthening -or shortening of the bar, therebybringing l .thejoint outzofahorizontal bearing line,

.50i length maybe substitutedfor a shorter bary causing hardship tothewearer. But with the present invention, vthebars 17 Vcan be removed iftoolong and cuttofany length desired, if necessary, while thelamewearerl waits.v Alon'gerzbar of exactly tlieright in a fewminiitesfandthe longer Aappliance Y may be .adjusted accurately. The.bars 17 Awill be. standardized..sozthatH one which has been used butdiscardedv becausetoo short,

...for example, can'be littedintojoint mem= ,one may. be cut'downasmuchas necessary bersltofformf another; appliance. ABecause of the uniformcrosssectionofthe bars, any

and still make. a niceelit'.witli.thefjointniern-I ber.

in; many, cases. of, infaaniegparaiysis the,

vpatient uses "stopljnints: atlthe anklesand a i kneesf alnldhips. l,rob'ably after.; one, 4or two f lowing claims lowed more freedom of hislimbs. old style apparatus it was necessary to make new bars or braceswith differently constructedjoints, which of course was eX- samebrace-bars as before, if desired.

Instead f Vusing rivets, bolts or screws as Vfastening means between thejoints and the bais,"`the parts may be fitted together by stood thatchangesdnvolving alteration,

omission; reversal 'and substitution ofz parts may be made withoutdepartingfrom my invention, which s-bestl defined in the .fol-

What l isf4 claimed .is

1. In an orthopedic applianceythe! combi- .fnation ,of ajointfmemberandaa brace bar,

said j oint..rnfeinber1 beingfslottedA at t one end -in a longitudinaldirection to receive ione fend' ofthe bracefbarfwhich is .inserted inand its. length. Y

2./In an orthopedic appliance, .a joint L...member lliaving I a# slot;extending.y longitudinally froinfone-end; sa idslot bifurcat-ing the endof the memberf sof-.as to; provide -a tongue Aof less width.-.tlianthemember-,aand a fur- .'cation- :of lthe'ffullwidth' `thereof, ftheslot Abeing shaped tofreceivefandv make a nice fit with acbrace-bar. l

. 3. In anvorthop'edic appliance, a joint member-having. atransverselycurved slot .extending inwardly in a longitudinal directionfrom one end,,said slot bifurcating saidiend so as to provideiatongue'of less width than the member, and a-furcation of substantiallylthe full.widtli thereof.

lj...ln.an orthopedic f appliance, they combination with abar-substantially ofuniform Aconcavo-conver crossfsection throughout itslength, ofajointmember slotted at one end longitudinally to receive anendy of said' bar, .saidslotbifurcating the membervend so as toprovide.av tongueadapted' to vlit within the concavesideof the bar, andvv alsoproviding a furcation adapted to itthe-conveX l,sideof=.tl1e mbar, -and.means passing through holesin the ibanend and jointJmemvJoer...transversely tohold ythe two .parts to-"gether.,andfyet'gpermit..detaehnfient 5,-1111 .1an orthopedic eappliance, the. combination a;;bar substantially offuniformconcavo-convex` crosssection throughout its flelglllfvitli'lthelflongitUdinal edge portions .',tlat,f;of; .a-,jiiintiinemberi'Slotted at f one end By the p longitudinally to receive an end of saidbar.I vex side of the bar with its edges engaging said slot beingtransversely curved and bifurthe fiat longitudinal edges of the bar, andeating the end of the member so as to promeans for uniting the bar andjoint mem- 10 vide a tongue adapted to fit substantially ber.

5 Hush Within theconcave side of the bar, the In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as outer face of the tongue being fiat, and also my own, Ihave hereto aHiXed my signature. providing va urcati'on adapted t0 itthe co-n- CHRISTIAN HUBERT MARTIN.

